


Family Dinner, or Something Like That

by anaceattorney



Category: Naruto
Genre: (even if Neji won't admit it yet), Found Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:46:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26503861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anaceattorney/pseuds/anaceattorney
Summary: Neji was not looking forward to Sunday dinner. In all fairness, he never really looked forward to Sunday dinner.But this Sunday would be even worse than usual. The clan head had asked (ordered) him to invite his genin teammates and jonin teacher over. At that, Neji knew, would be a disaster. But no one asked for his opinion.
Relationships: Hyuuga Neji & Maito Gai | Might Guy, Hyuuga Neji & Maito Gai | Might Guy & Rock Lee & Tenten, Hyuuga Neji & Rock Lee & Tenten
Comments: 8
Kudos: 57





	Family Dinner, or Something Like That

Neji was not looking forward to Sunday dinner. In all fairness, he never really looked forward to Sunday dinner. It was the night where the head of the clan invited him and a few other branch family members to have dinner in the main house. Neji wasn’t quite sure what he was trying to accomplish. Pretend he viewed them as real people rather than disposable objects? Make everyone deeply uncomfortable? Ruin what was usually Neji’s one day where he didn’t have to deal with the crazy mess that was his team? But regardless, Neji was just a branch family member and it wasn’t his place to challenge the head of the clan. He had regretfully gotten used to sitting in uncomfortable silence, broken up only by the clan head’s question about his or his cousins’ progress. It was not how he would have liked to spend his Sunday evenings, if he had the choice, and he looked forward to when his team could take longer missions out of the village so maybe he would be able to avoid a few dinners.

But this Sunday would be even worse than usual. The clan head had asked (ordered) him to invite his genin teammates and jonin teacher over. Apparently, he wanted to meet the people Neji was working with. Neji had only known his team for a few months, but he could already tell that having them at a Hyuuga dinner would be a disaster. Gai didn’t seem to understand the concept of indoor voices. Tenten would get bored and start throwing her kunai or something. And Lee would inadvertently insult at least three people within the first five minutes. Beyond that, what would they even talk about? The Hyuuga were a clan who were known for their chakra control and powerful Byakugan. They finished fights gracefully by taking away their opinion’s ability to use chakra. Lee couldn’t even mold chakra, Tenten couldn’t manage more than a few E-level jutsus, and Neji had never seen Gai use any jutsus either. Their fighting styles were so different from Neji’s and the rest of the Hyuuga clan.

Besides, Lee was destined to fail and he doubted Tenten would ever advance beyond chunin, if she even made it that far. They would be examined and found to be wanting. But they would just have to endure one dinner, since Neji doubted anyone would want a repeat of this experiment. Neji would have to deal with whispers and taunts from his family members about how he was placed on a doomed team with a joke of a teacher. Hopefully Gai would let them take the chunin exams soon so he could advance and forget about his old team. 

But until then he was stuck with them and that apparently included doing whatever damage control was necessary after what he was sure would be a disaster of a dinner. At least they had a training session early tomorrow morning so he could use that to escape the clan compound for most of tomorrow. 

He sighed and forced himself to get out of bed. He usually wasn’t one for being idle, but he had given himself the afternoon off from training in order to mentally prepare for the night. However, it was nearing the time he had promised to meet up with the rest of his team at their usual training field. He said it would be best if they all came together. Really, he just wanted the chance to establish some behavior rules with them. He half-heartedly hoped that Lee and Gai weren’t wearing their usual jumpsuits and Tenten was dressed nicer than just her training clothes, but he wasn’t holding out much hope in that regard.

Sure enough, as he walked towards the clearing he saw the three of them dressed in their usual outfits. Lee was even punching his log like he always did. At least they were on time, he thought, trying to find any positive bit of this situation.

“Neji, hey, Neji,” Lee called out when he spotted him, waving. Tenten and Gai both turned towards him. “Are you looking forward to tonight?”  
Neji hoped his face conveyed how very much he was not looking forward to tonight. Given that even Lee, with his eternal and foolish optimism, faltered at his look, he felt he had gotten his point across. 

“I look forward to meeting your family, Neji,” Gai enthused. “I hope they do not think badly of me for not formally introducing myself before now. As you are my first team, I was unsure of whether I should since I already know most of your family members from various missions.” Neji could think of multiple reasons his clan would think badly of Gai, none of which related to not introducing himself before instructing a mere branch member. “But I’m sure this dinner will give us a chance to bond with them and show them our strength!” Lee yelled in agreement in the background. Neji had a horrifying vision of Gai lifting a table up over his head or doing something equally disruptive in the name of proving his strength. 

“I’m sure that’s not necessary,” he hurried to say, knowing it wouldn’t do much good. Once Gai got an idea into his head, it was hard to discourage him. He turned to Tenten, the one team member with an ounce of sanity. She looked him dead in the eye and smiled like she did when she had figured out what finishing move to use on someone. 

“Aren’t you excited to introduce us to your family?” she asked, sweetly. Any hope Neji had for her help crumbled to dust. Not that he was very surprised. He knew her and Lee had been friends since before they started the academy, and she was not shy about letting him know that she did not appreciate how he treated their third teammate. Neji didn’t get what she was so upset about. Someone had to keep pointing out to Lee that his dream was foolish, since apparently he hadn’t gotten the message from their academy teacher, all their former classmates, or random shinobi he ran into on the street. It wasn’t anything personal. Some dreams were just never met to be, and Lee should realize that sooner rather than later before he got himself or anyone else killed because of his delusion he could really succeed as a shinobi with just taijutsu.

“Right, we should be off or we’ll be late,” Gai urged them, bringing Neji out of his thoughts. Knowing he couldn’t put this off any longer, he gestured for the rest of his team to follow him and led them towards the compound. 

Lee and Gai kept up a steady stream of chatter about Lee’s training routine of something like that. Tenten was oddly quiet. Not that she was usually as loud as the other two, but she would throw comments in when she thought Lee and Gai were getting out of hand. When Neji glanced back, she was staring at him intently. He wasn’t quite sure what that look meant. It wasn’t quite the one she had on when evaluating her opponents, but it was something close. When she caught his gaze, she just gave that terrifying smile of hers again and turned to yell at Lee not to overexert himself so much.

Neji honestly couldn’t recall later which members of his clan were on watch that night and directed them towards the main house. Everything in him was focusing on preparing plans for damage control and considering how to best get through the dinner without everyone realizing how foolish and weak his team was.

When they arrived at the dining room, they were the last ones there. Neji really hoped they weren’t actually late. Then again, he wouldn’t have been surprised if the clan head had wanted everyone else here beforehand so they could give an appropriately impressive first impression. Not that his teammates cared about that, considering Lee’s eyes were focused on the food and Tenten’s on the blades displayed on the wall. 

“Hello, Hiashi, it’s good to see you again,” Gai stepped forward, addressing the man sitting at the head of the table. 

“It is good to see you to, Gai,” Hiashi replied smoothly. “Please have a seat, I look forward to getting to know my nephew’s teammates and teacher.”

The effect of the seating arrangements was not lost on Neji. Hiashi sat at the head of the table. Hinata and Hanabi sat on one side of the table along with Hanako and Hachiro, two of the clan elders. Neji and his team took their seats on the opposite side of the table. Gai was seated next to Hiashi, then Tenten, Neji, and finally Lee. Neji had purposefully positioned himself between his two teammates, hoping he could stop them if they started accidentally (or purposefully, in Tenten’s case) insulting someone or said something too extreme. Although if he tried to kick Lee or something, he might take that as an invitation for a practice right right then and there. Neji already had a headache and he doubted the night would get better from here. And he was not looking forward to the interrogation he was sure the elders would start up.

Gai had started up a lively (at least on his side) conversation with Hiashi as Nao brought out dinner. She gave him a sympathetic look as she left, knowing how uncomfortable being a branch member in the main house was. Hiashi had decided it would just be Neji and his team that ate with them tonight, so he didn't even have any other branch members to help him. Neji’s prediction came true when Hanako asked Lee as he was digging into the food, “So, Lee, tell me a little bit of your background. I can’t say I’ve heard of your family.” Neji nearly winced. He knew Hanako already knew pretty much everything there was to know about his teammate’s backgrounds. She had been one of the most outspoken complainers when Neji’s genin’s team was announced. He believed her exact words had been, “Neji may only be a branch member, but to utilize his full potential he should not be placed on a team with two useless orphans who will only drag him down.” But genin assignments were finally and nothing they could do would change that.

“Oh, I’m afraid I can’t tell you much,” Lee told her apologetically. “My parents died when I was young. I was raised in the orphanage, where I met Tenten, and then we moved out together a couple years after we started at the academy.”

“Hm, I see. And your parents, were they shinobi?” Hanako asked.

“No, I think they were shopkeepers of some sort,” Lee replied. 

“And I hear you have difficulty molding chakra, is that correct?” Hanako continued.

“I can’t mold it at all,” Lee cheerfully reported. “But that’s alright because I am going to become a shinobi relying solely on taijutsu.”

“I see, that is a difficult goal. Some would even say impossible,” Hanako remarked. 

“I can do it,” Lee responded, not at all picking up on her tone. It was driving Neji crazy. Couldn’t he see she was just trying to humiliate him, dragging all his lacking qualities out into the light? No family, no impressive techniques, he couldn’t even mold chakra. All he had was his stupid belief in himself. Why did Neji have to get stuck on a team with Lee and have a teacher like Gai who actively encourages his foolish pursuit? 

“And you, Tenten, was it?” Hanako turned towards his other teammate. Hachiro seemed content to let her ask the questions for now, and Hinata and Hanabi were speaking quietly to each other. “Lee mentioned you met at the orphanage?”

“Yeah, I’ve been there pretty much since I was born,” Tenten told her, with a shrug. “Not quite sure who my parents are.”

“You never tried to find out?” Hanako asked, raising her eyebrow.

“Never really mattered. They might have just been civilians or maybe they were shinobi from Mist who somehow left me here for whatever reason. I'm here now and am a shinobi of Leaf,” Lee promptly bursted into tears, sobbing about how youthful Tenten’s declaration was, which of course prompted Gai to emerge from his conversation with Hiashi momentarily to yell about the power of youth as well. Hanako looked like she just swallowed a lemon. Neji officially gave up on salvaging the evening. Though, he had to admit he was impressed with Tenten. He knew one of their classmates in the academy (he hadn’t bothered to learn their names- they were all destined to fail) had started that rumor after he got mad that Tenten was always beating him in target practice. Instead of acting embarrassed or ashamed when someone asked her to her face whether it was true, Tenten had just taken it into stride. He remembered her saying something about how where she was from didn’t matter and maybe if they spent more time practicing and less time gossiping, they might actually be able to give her a challenge one of these days. That hadn’t endured her to their classmates, but they mainly left her alone after that.

Hanako apparently decided to switch gears, since neither Lee or Tenten had shown or apparently felt the shame she was trying to bring out about their humble backgrounds. “Neji tells me you both had unusual fighting styles. Can you tell me more about them?” Neji had certainly told her no such thing. He avoided talking about his teammates as much as possible with the clan. Sue, they were weak, but for now they were his teammates and didn’t want his clan to try and interfere any more than they already had. 

“I focus on seals and weapons,” Tenten explained. “I’ve only recently had a chance to really start building my collection, but someday I hope to have an entire house full of different types of weapons. So far I’ve been focusing on different kinds of mid-range weapons since everyone else on the team is primarily a close combat fighter. I just recently acquired a modified sling-shot that allows me to launch kunai at higher speeds and for much longer distances. Would you like a demonstration?” She started eyeing some of the artifacts around the room, as if considering which one to aim for,

“That won’t be necessary,” Hanako hastily reassured her. Hanabi did look a little disappointed at that. “And you, Lee?”

“I am solely a taijutsu fighter,” Lee announced proudly. “Gai has helped me develop training routines to strengthen by body and develop my skills. Neji is my rival and I am learning a lot from our spars.” Neji determinedly did not meet anyone’s eye after they heard that proclamation. What kind of shinobi declared their teammate their rival and repeated it frequently, at high volumes? Well Gai did, which was of course enough for Lee to do the same thing. He didn’t know how Kakashi Hatake put up with it. The man was one of the best shinobi of the village, why would he go along with Gai’s crazy challenges? Because he might try and avoid them sometimes, but his complaints didn’t seem to have much force and he often almost seemed to enjoy their wild matches. Neji didn’t understand it. Surely he had better things to do than humor Gai. But Gai and Kakashi’s relationship was what it was and Lee had decided he also needed a rival and declared Neji as his. Not that Lee ever had a chance of beating him, but he was alarmingly persistent.

“Is that so?” Hanako said, probably glancing towards Neji who didn’t raise his head. “That is certainly an unusual path.” 

And the dinner continued like that for what felt like forever. Hanako and eventually Hachiro asked Lee and Tenten question after question. Some about themselves, some about their knowledge of the Hyuuga clan, some just general questions. They did not seem pleased with a single answer they got. Neji had to admit he was impressed that his teammates never let the interrogation get to them. He thought Lee might just not realize what was going on, but Tenten definitely did and answered each query with her fighting smile. However, he was very much not impressed by Lee referring to his Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin technique as, “The thing Neji does where he spins in a circle really fast and uses chakra to hit things away.” Couldn’t he learn the real name of it or just not talk about it? Hinata didn’t say anything the whole night, although she looked like she wanted to. Hanabi had asked a couple questions about their training routines and missions they had been on. She never bothered to ask Neji these questions, so he had just figured she didn’t care. But she was quite willing to converse with his teammates, so maybe she just didn’t want to talk to him. Not that it mattered, she was of the main branch. It was her destiny to have power over Neji. Her personal feelings towards him were irrelevant. All main branch members would sacrifice any branch member for their own gain, it was the way of the clan. He couldn’t hear much of Gai’s conversation with his uncle over the other conversations going on, but they did seem to be deeply engaged in whatever they were discussing, although Hiashi definitely kept track of the interrogation that was going on.

Finally, they had finished eating and Gai stood up and announced, “We have an early morning training session tomorrow and we best head out.” Neji was confused. Yes, they were meeting tomorrow at eight in the morning, but that wasn’t particularly early for them and it wasn’t even that late. “Thank you for your hospitality and the meal. It was an honor to share a meal with you.”

Tenten and Lee stood up and bowed, following their teacher’s lead. “Thank you,” they both said.

“It was a pleasure to meet you,” his clan head replied. “I wish you luck with your upcoming missions. Hinata, if you would escort them out?” His cousin quickly stood up and gestured for his team to follow her, which they did after saying good-bye to Neji. Hanabi followed them out. And now Neji was left with just the elders and clan head.

“Well that proves it. I don’t know what whoever assembles the teams was thinking, but those pathetic teammates of yours will only drag you down,” Hanako said in a huff. 

“They are certainly not of the calibre we expected,” Hachiro chimed in. “I trust you will not allow yourselves to be dragged down by them?”

“I’m sure Neji knows what is expected of him,” Hiashi broke in. “He would not let the clan down.”

Neji clenched his hands so hard, he could feel his fingernails break the skin of his palm. Oh yes, he remembered his place. They called him a prodigy, his use of the Byakugan far more advanced than expected at his age. Certainly better than his cousins, particularly Hinata. But he was just a branch family member. How far he could go was up to the main branch. He was of the Hyuuga clan so he was obviously superior to his clanless teammates, but he was always inferior to the main branch. That was his place, which had been hammered into him his whole life, particularly since his father’s murder.

“Of course not, clan-head,” Neji replied, keeping his tone level through years of practice. “I will make the clan proud.”

“Good,” his uncle studied him for a minute before dismissing him. “I would not want you to be late to your training session tomorrow. Even if your teammates present you no challenge and your teacher is not the one we would have chosen for you, something might be gained from training with them.”

Neji nodded his head as respectfully as he could and headed back to his room. But he couldn’t fall asleep. Why had it bothered him so much when they had dismissed his teammates as worthless? Hadn’t he thought the same thing over and over again? So why did he feel the need to defend them when Hanako called them pathetic or Hiashi said they presented no challenge? That was true after all. Even in 2-on-1 matches, he could defeat them.

Because they haven’t seen, a voice in the back of his head whispered. They haven’t seen Lee practice until he throws up or collapses and then forces himself to get up and try again the next day. They don’t see Tenten practicing with every weapon she can get her hand on and develop new strategies suited to each one. They haven’t seen Gai take down 20 enemies in a minute and then turn around to throw them his stupid pose with his grin and his thumb’s up and tell them he had no doubt they would be as strong as him one day.

Because his team was weak and foolish and destined to fail. But they were also Neji’s. The first people he was close to who looked at him and didn’t see just a branch family member or the Hyuuga prodigy. They bothered to learn his favorite foods and his preferred routines. He couldn’t push them away with his insults or attitude. When he was with them, he could forget “his place”. Among a boy who wanted to become a shinobi without using chakra, a girl with no family who wanted to master every weapon out there, his dream of being able to live his life for himself, to not have to accept that his life could be cut off at any moment at the whim of the main family, didn’t seem so absurd.

Suffice to say, Neji was not in a good mood the next morning. He hadn’t slept much and he could already hear the whispers following him as he left to meet his team. He was, surprisingly, the first on there. Usually, he was the last to arrive, and Lee and Tenten would already be practicing when he got there. He waited for a few minutes, and considered beginning by himself. Instead, he let himself lay down under one of the trees. He’d get up in a few minutes and start practicing, until then he let his eyes close and listened to the birds chirp around him. It was rather relaxing.

He had half drifted off to sleep when he heard a crash that signified someone’s arrival. He opened his eyes to see Lee, who looked like he had just run into a tree. Tenten was standing behind him, rubbing her hand through her hair and sighing. Gai was laughing and holding a rather large bag.

“Good morning, Neji,” Lee greeted him enthusiastically. “How are you this morning?”

“Fine,” Neji responded flatly. “I haven’t run into any trees, so I’m doing better than you.”

Tenten burst out laughing at that, “He’s got you there, Lee.”

“Nonsense, something like that cannot dampen my youthful spirit,” Lee replied, to which Gai loudly agreed.

“What’s in the bag?” Neji asked, before Gai launched into another one of his speeches about the power of youth. He was sure he would never be able to hear that word again without having flashbacks to Gai crying and holding a dramatic pose.

“Breakfast,” Gai responded, starting to take containers out. Neji raised his eyebrow at that. He knew Gai would often take Lee and Tenten for food after their missions, but he had always turned down their invitations to join them. It was time better spent training and he didn’t want them to think their relationship was any more than what it was: teammates. Plus, his family would not approve.

Tenten noticed his look and smirked, “Since you’re always so boring and won’t come out with us, we figured we wouldn’t give you a choice this time.”

Neji sighed, unsure why they needed to do this. Hadn't they eaten together just last night? The last thing Gai pulled out of the bag sidetracked him, “Dango is not a breakfast food,” he protested.

“So what?” Tenten said, looking amused. “You like it.”

Neji did have a soft spot for the sweet, even if he didn’t indulge it very often. As he gave the food a closer examination, he realized most of the items were ones he enjoyed.

“It’s a sorry-your-family-is-a-bunch-of-assholes breakfast, even if you’re kind of an asshole, too,” Tenten explained, looking quite pleased with herself. “Well your cousin seems nice, if shy.”

“Tenten,” Lee scolded, “that was not how we were supposed to phrase it.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s not true,” Tenten said, looking entirely unrepentant. Lee kind of sputtered and flailed at that, while Tenten laughed.

“I know we were not the team you wanted or expected,” in the confusion, Gai had come up beside Neji. “But I hope you know we will do our best to help you achieve your dreams. Not saying you need help,” he continued before Neji could get his thoughts together enough to object, “but we are here if you ever do.” 

Gai guided him over to the blanket Lee had spread out on the ground. And Neji let the conversation wash over him, Lee and Gai excitedly talking about new challenges and Tenten asking him, “Is Hanako’s face always like that or did I just succeed in my mission of annoying her a little too well?” They certainly weren’t the group Neji had envisioned, but maybe that was alright. They were still weak and sooner or later Neji would leave them behind, but maybe for now it was alright to enjoy spending time with people who didn’t force their expectations of him onto him. He would let himself just be Neji, their teammate for a little while.

**Author's Note:**

> Since I couldn't find a way to fit a Neji pov chapter in Fractured, I decided to write this entire one-shot in his pov. It was fun, even if I sometimes struggled to capture his character. 
> 
> I love team Gai, both the members individually and their group dynamic. I've always been curious about the year or so between when they became a team and when we met them during the chunin exams. Naruto was the one who was able to finally get though to Neji and get him to rethink his worldview, but I think his time with Team Gai laid a lot of the groundwork for that break through. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! This is my first time writing a one-shot and it was a lot different than my process for writing my longer fics. Let me know what you think.


End file.
